Reflection on the Don Whitney Conference

Last weekend, Don Whitney a former pastor and current professor at Southern Seminary came to speak at our Church. He has come every year for the past 6 years and has spoken on, Fellowship, The Disciplines of the Church, How to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and of course The Spiritual Disciplines.

This year he started over with the personal spiritual disciplines, specifically, meditation on the Word and praying through scripture. Though I have heard him speak on this subject before and read his book multiple times, I believe for myself it was an encouragement and much needed refresher.

Dr. Whitney is right in that praying through scripture and meditation is simple and once you have done it, it is like riding a bike-easy to remember. I believe it was 6 years ago when he taught this the first time and it has been a discipline that is not hard to maintain unless I simply refuse to open up to a Psalm. It is not complex nor boring-"saying the same old things about the same old things", as is common apart from praying through the scripture. I have benefited much in praying this way and using Don's biblical meditation methods. In fact, as was pointed out at the conference, we can read, meditate and pray all at the same time. This makes it more of a blessing and less of a list of "duties". I have found for myself that when I am doing the disciplines in faith, believing the Holy Spirit is working in me through them, the disciplines are a delight to my soul rather then a dreaded duty.

I personally have benefited through the repetition of going through the Spiritual Disciplines book and conferences- I have yet to master every discipline and certainly need the reminders of the reason behind the disciplines- they are making me more like Jesus.

So, Dr. Whitney, I thank you for taking the time for the sake of the body of Christ at large to write and teach these things that have so benefited me in my walk with Jesus Christ. You have had a large impact on my family as a whole. You have been and continue to be an influence on my husband who has led me and our children in his passion for growing in godliness through the disciplines. I already see how God is working in my two older children as they are daily reading God's word and even the two that do not read yet open up their Bibles and "read" with the rest of the family. For all this I am grateful to God and thankful for the opportunity to sit under your teaching.

For those who were unable to attend the conference, here is a link to some of Don Whitney's helpful materials that he has made available on his website.